Phil Gingrey to Super PAC: ‘Leave Georgia alone’

Republican Phil Gingrey is trying to make the best of the fact that he is now drawing the brunt of the attacks from the powerful Ending Spending Action Fund.

The super PAC is spending much of the $1.3 million in airtime it reserves ahead of the May 20 primary against Gingrey, and it’s beginning to chafe the Marietta Republican.

“Go figure. I don’t know who’s behind it but I guess that’s freedom of speech,” Gingrey told us. “But as my dad told me one time a long time ago, a knock is a boost and somebody must be worried about me winning this Senate seat.”

The Super PAC, which is also attacking Democrat Michelle Nunn, has plastered ads attacking Gingrey for seeking earmarks and voting to increase the debt limit. When we noted that the Chicago-based group could also attack Rep. Jack Kingston, another GOP Senate contender, for the same thing, Gingrey deemed himself “surprised” he was in the crosshairs.

“Certainly I would not be picked out as a moderate but as a conservative,” he said, adding: “I think Washington or these Super PACs should just leave Georgia alone and let us pick the best candidate who has the best chance of winning this seat and keeping it in Republican hands in November.”

Gingrey also told us he was “absolutely” willing to disclose up to 10 years of his tax records. His campaign said they should be available by next week.

“I’d be happy to do that,” he said, adding: “My tax returns for the last five, 10 years, if she wants to do 10 years I’d be glad to do that. I think people want to know and they deserve to know. I’m all for that.”

She was one of 59 students nationwide to receive the scholarship, which offers up to $30,000 for graduate work. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in cultural geography before heading to law school to specialize in immigration.

Something tells us a political career is not far behind.

***

MSNBC takes a deep look at businessman and Senate candidate David Perdue’s time as senior vice president of Haggar Clothing Co. in the 1990s. During that time the company moved jobs from South Texas to Mexico. The key stat:

By 1998, 1,667 laid off Haggar employees had been certified for NAFTA retraining programs for workers who lost their jobs to outsourcing or foreign imports – the most of any company in Texas, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Perdue defended the practice:

“We very definitely looked at trying to maintain as much volume as we could [in America],” Perdue told msnbc. “The problem was if you looked at the cost sheet of a product made in Mexico versus a product made in South Texas … the Mexican product had an advantage.” …

“To politicians who have never been in a free enterprise system this sounds really easy,” Perdue said. “It is anything but easy. It’s very messy.”

Perdue said Haggar’s shift to factories abroad was the unavoidable result of several factors, including declining sales for some of the company’s American-made products, increasingly cheap clothing from rivals who had outsourced production earlier, and the 1994 ratification of NAFTA, which reduced duties on Mexican-imported goods.

“We fundamentally restructured a company for survival,” Perdue said. “Another way to look at this is we saved a couple thousand jobs.”

Handel showed the most movement, jumping from fifth place (at 5 percent) three weeks ago to third, following the endorsement of Sarah Palin and the revelation of Perdue’s comments dismissing her as the “high school graduate in this race” — though the latter does not seem to have dinged Perdue.

The poll also showed Gov. Nathan Deal with 61 percent in his primary, with challengers David Pennington at 7 percent and John Barge at 4 percent.

InsiderAdvantage conducted the poll of likely Republican voters in Georgia April 13-15 with a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

Down in Albany, Gov. Nathan Deal was pressed about why he’s refusing to debate his GOP opponents. It came after the strange dispute between former Dalton Mayor David Pennington, a GOP challenger, and Deal attorney Randy Evans.

“I am not going to engage in a debate in the media with David Pennington,” Deal said. “The bottom line is that people who make accusations need to get their facts straight and this is where David Pennington fails.”

Deal was then asked if he would debate his Republican challenger before the May 20 primary.

“I haven’t made that call one way or the other, but I wonder if Jason Carter will have one either,” Deal said.

Carter, who doesn’t have any Democratic opponents, seems to be spared of that decision.

***

Though he did not name Deal, a fed-up statement Thursday from U.S. Rep. John Lewis on the state’s food stamp backlog woes can be read as a manifesto against the Republican administration. Said the civil rights legend:

“The state of Georgia seems to have become callous and indifferent to the needs of its most vulnerable people. The poor, the seniors, and the sick must travel to a state office and pay for an ID card just to register to vote. The ill and the suffering will receive no relief from the expansion of Medicaid.

“People who feared they might lose their homes can’t receive help in time to save themselves from foreclosure, even though millions of dollars were allocated by the federal government to the hardest hit states. And now the hungry, who are looking for Georgia to offer a safety net of support are victimized by poor management, even when federal money is available.

“Somewhere I read that as you have done to the least of these, so you have done it to me. The state of Georgia needs to be evenhanded in its administration. It cannot operate competently in some cases and incompetently in others. It must serve all the people –the poor and the rich, the sick and the able-bodied, the hungry and the well-fed–justly.

“It seems that our food stamp program in Georgia is not receiving the human resources and management expertise it demands in order to meet the needs of the people it was created to serve. That is not right, not fair or just. The state needs to fix the systemic and backlog problems immediately.”

***

You don’t often see a political candidate’s wife narrate an advertisement about her life. But not every political candidate marries a Miss America who overcame a disability.

Here’s the latest TV offering from St. Simons Island businessman John McCallum, a Republican running in the coastal First Congressional District, featuring Heather Whitestone McCallum:

***

In the 12th Congressional District GOP primary, 2012 nominee Lee Anderson is backing businessman Eugene Yu. Said Anderson in a press release:

“Eugene has lived the American story most politicians only talk about. He is not only a rock-solid conservative; he’s served his country and community, built a successful business and actually knows what it’s like to pay taxes. I’m proud to support him as our next Republican Congressman.”

As the folks at Georgia Tipsheet point out, the Anderson news was semi-buried in Yu’s announcement of county chairmen, perhaps a reflection of Anderson’s lackluster campaign against Rep. John Barrow, D-Augusta.

***

Witness Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweak the Cobb Crackers Atlanta Braves in this 11Alive story on their Turner Field lease, which expires after the 2016 season. The Cobb stadium is scheduled to be completed in January 2017 — cutting it close with opening day, should construction delays arise:

The Braves have a five year option to extend the lease, though the team would undoubtedly ask for a shorter extension if the Braves stadium in Cobb isn’t complete by the 2017 season.

If it were to come to that however, Reed said he would insist on a five-year extension. “They gotta take it all,” he said smiling. “Can’t take a piece. You gotta take all five” years, he said.

U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmorelandtells Jason Pye at United Liberty that he’s keeping the Benghazi investigation going — but not with the goal of regularly appearing on Fox News:

Westmoreland said that he went to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) approximately six weeks ago to get his blessing to form a group consisting of members of three key House committees — Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs. He wanted members with prosecutorial experience to build a potential case.

“We would look at the testimony, we would look at a list of witnesses that have testified in front of Government Oversight and Foreign Affairs,” Westmoreland told United Liberty. “And we would look at them, and we would look at their testimony and see if there [were] any contradictions in testimonies that may have been presented by somebody else at another committee.”

Boehner’s staff contacted Westmoreland two weeks later, offering staff support to assist the group as it reviews some 50,000 pages of testimony and interviews.

“[I]t’s a small group,” said Westmoreland. “We don’t want any big committee chairs, we wanted the average run-of-the-mill kind of guy that could look at this and not be on TV every night, or be doing interviews and trying to make a lot of gain out of it, because the American people, they want to know the truth, and that’s what we’re doing our best.”

1. Lynn's goal is not to be on Fox News? Everyone knows Fox News has very little time for him because the Big Three (Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Darrell Issa) have that whole thing covered.

2. Lynn wants to form a group with prosecutorial experience? That's because Lynn has none.

3. Lynn wants to look for contractions? Lynn is saying that the Big Three have wasted the last year and a half saying they have been looking for contractions. In the case of Issa, who has said on numerous occassions that he has proof, so why doesn't Lynn look at Issa's numerous contradictions?

4. Lynn has received 50,000 documents from Boehner and offered staff support? Lynn is saying that The Big Three are incompetent because they haven't reviewed the documents, and he might be right.

5. Lynn doesn't want big committee chairs? Lynn is saying with a straight face that he can find average-run-of-the-mill guys (no women?) partisan hacks, who have prosecutorial experience, hate being on Fox News, don't want to make a lot of gain out of it, and are willing to follow directions from a low level irrelevent partisan hack who hasn't championed a single bill since he has been in Congress.

6. Lynn says the American people want the truth? Lynn is really saying that math was not his best subject because, as he has traveled the country, he found that 39% of Americans actually represents a majority who believe there was a coverup. Closer to home, Lynn is saying everybody in his district were a part of the 39$ because they heard the word Benghazi from Rush Limbaugh, but have no clue what it means or where it is.

Does anyone else see the irony in a bunch of exceptionally wealthy people pooling enough money to buy television ads attacking a variety of political candidates and calling themselves 'Ending Spending'.

Obligatory cheap shot from MSNBC repeated here aimed at the GOP leading Perdue.

Handel has the least campaign funds of the top 5 Senatorial candidates (not even counting Gardner),and the slimmest donor list for next month to draw upon. Expensive advertising must work because the other 4 have cranked it up.

The liberal AJC has now joined its rude name calling posters with the Cobb Crackers slur. Nice professional journalism there, but then this is the AJC afterall.

"Jimmy Carter seems to bring out the best of Twitter." Such silliness says it all.

While I know our Governor is lax in the area of fashion, he would do well to remember that the "cloak of extremism" that could most closely be associated with his past was accessorized with a pointy hat. They are just oh so gauche these days though.

@MiltonMan So, how much did Nathan Deal charge when Chris Christie came to Georgia on March 7th (during the legislative session) for a fundraising luncheon? Don't know? That's because it was private and you weren't invited.

Better still, when is George W. Bush coming to Georgia to fundraise for Nathan Deal? We know he can bring in at least $100,000 per person since he was such a great and popular President.

@CuriousPrime Lynn Westmoreland is an insult to Coweta County. If he really wants to do some good, investigate the lies about "Weapons of Mass Destruction" and the many lives that were lost because of them. I'm about ready to run against him.

@DewieCheatem_n_Howe Let's see, what is $50,000 back in 1970 worth in today's dollars? That's what Herman Talmadge used to keep for petty cash in his overcoat. According to one source, it would be about $300,000.

Do you truly think God hears our prayers??? How many have been aborted??? Porn is everywhere. Weed is being legalized left & right. We can marry just about anyone or anything now. We have taken prayer out of everything. We have false idols/gods everywhere. God brought his chosen people to their knees. God is not happy with USA.

@The_Centrist I like the "cheap shot" phrase, but it looks like the MSNBC shot was accurately above the belt.. Perdue outsourced jobs to Mexico where workers were making $1.50 per hour. The facts show that he laid off 1700 Americans while retaining only 900, but then said that he saved thousands of jobs.

Perdue claimed the outsourcing to Mexico was also because of government regulations, but he made no layoffs of the 1700 employees in the more restrictive Canada or the UK.

Perdue claimed that NAFTA was a problem, but he like the US Chamber of Commerce championed the agreement that was initially signed by G.H.W. Bush. Yes, the bill was signed by Bill Clinton, but Republican forget to mention that it was because they had folks like Perdue and money behind them to get into lock step to force the measure to pass.

@EdUktr Everyone knows newspaper endorsements are worthless. As for failed presidents, this logic says that George P. Bush has no chance being elected statewide in Texas. His grandfather did nothing, and his uncle...oh well, he was so bad, Republicans act as if his administration never happened.

@MiltonMan - I already knew your reading comprehension is sorely Lacking. But Now I am beginning to think you cannot READ as WELL!

Andy and Shirley are both opportunists seeking only to fill their own pockets first. While The Honorable John Jewis is a MAN of Character to admired and respected.

Too Bad no one can say the same of ANY MEMBER OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD OR FAMILY. Loserville is where they have always lived and Died. Exactly where you will be found 10-20years from now. While helplessly and sadly looking to some DARK SOUL'S friendly EYES, who will be charged with the responsibility to Feed,Clean and Change your stinky depends (3) times a Day! For there will be no one within your Household who would be willing to do the Job for YOU. ALL they want is to get their GREEDY and GRUBBY hands on the last $50.00 in your checking account.

In the end it will be one of those Dark faces who will LOOK down on You, without saying a word, as you slowly and quietly slip away to the PIT!

@EdUktr - Hmmm..You seem to know a Lot about Crack Cocaine. I would be willing to find a few Crack Heads within Your Dysfunctional Family. Qutie a Few Drunks and chain smokers too! Oh yes and that one who is STRUNG out on Meth!

You know the one, I am speaking of...Yep! that one!

Did Wifey tell you about that MASS her Doctor Found? HUGE! but of course you do not know for the Lights are ALWAYS OUT! when you got to Bed!

I do not Blame Her...for she knows when you are around...She said She can SMELL YOU!

@CuriousPrime@The_Centrist What I'm amazed at is Perdue's justification for outsourcing. As if it was unique. Bottom line, he did what everybody was doing at the time. They didn't give a rats azz about the American Worker. Sent jobs to Mexico, India and anywhere else they could.

American businesses are not spending money on hiring. They are spending money on PACS in order to continue their business practices--hire and underpay illegals. Cut the workforce and continue to stagnate the salaries of employees; and most importantly, figure out how to pay as little taxes as possible while screaming about high taxes.

@Charles50 Mine is higher today than it was before. It is call the market and if you had studied it carefully it does not continually go up. When one has studied the trends then they would know that sometimes you have to know when to move funds into different markets. It is all about timing.